A Torrent of the Soul
by A.Bout
Summary: This is a story to show that Sepheroth is innocent of the whole madness. Jenova was controlling him as well as Hojo. Sepheroth tried to resist them, but in the end evil triumphed. This is a telling of how one so great lost their soul.


**Prologue – The Mission**

_It's been three years now that I've been assigned to leading SOLDIER. President Shinra wants us to become allies with Wutai. In other words, through his greed he finds himself needing yet another thing. Legend has it that the once great master of the seas was tamed and its power is contained within an orb. Rumors have it that this orb is in fact a materia. I wonder what great power could have tamed such a beast, surely there had to be something before Shinra. Did Shinra derive from it?_

"-Sorry to interrupt your thoughts sir..."

"…" _A messenger? I wonder what happened that it couldn't be sent over the intercom._

The man a little nervous, "Remember Zack? Well it seems he and this blond guy has become quite a ruckus in the lobby."

This brought a smirk to his lips. "Hmm? What have they done now?"

"Well…" the man shaky now, "…it's not what they've done. I-…It's what they're doing." The man wished he was down there instead of being the messenger. Of all people he had to inform it had to be Sepheroth. During the last three years, Sepheroth had made quite the name and for those that were not part of his group, were intimidated; although a few in the group were.

"Very well, I'll make my leave at once." It wasn't long before the man could hear his laughter down the hall. It made him cower.

_Ahahahahahaha…those two. They amuse me so. I wonder what they've gotten themselves into. If I had to guess I'd say they're dueling again and knowing how competitive they are all the men on the floor knows about it too. Hahahaha… The last time they went at it, one wall was in shreds and the tables… _"Ahahahahahaha…"_ …were, they weren't recognizable! The fish tank! Oh…the fish tank! That was priceless! _"Heh, heh, heh, heh"_ Fish were flopping all over the floor. The best part was that the President had bought this $500,000gil exotic fish. I hated it personally, I thought it looked horrible, but him being the President no one questioned it. I just about died from laughter when I found it with a knife through its heart, having its last squirms of life. _"Ahahahaha!" _The look in the Presidents eyes was priceless! If looks could kill they would've. The only downside of it was I had to take the blame for them, they are my best. _

As he took the stairs down a couple floors he began to hear the sounds of a fight. _Yep I was right._ The smirk crawled into a smile. If one was to have seen it they would've thought they were watching The Grinch, but unlike the grinch, Sepheroth had a heart.

"Ungh!" Cloud grunted time after time as the swords kissed each other. They clanged like two lovers having a lovers spat. "I'll win this time!"

"Like hell you will!" Zack yelled twice as loud.

"_Clang!"_

"Remember our promise?"

"Yes," replied Zack. "Whoever loses has to pay for the tattoos while the winner gets to pick them."

Cloud smiled as he brought his sword in an up-sweeping fashion giving Zack the edge he needed, or so he thought. As soon as Zack went in for the stab Cloud went with the hilt of his sword, sliding between Zack's legs far enough to give him a solid kick to the back. Zack, surprised, went right over the coffee table and over the sofa where two ladies happened to be sitting, paralyzed questioned if they should move; they decided to. Only a moment later did you here a thud accompanied with a smile beaming on Cloud's face. "Aha! I'm going to get custom tattoos! Mine will be a nice sharp sword on my arm while yours will be a shattered sword signifying that I'm a greater fighter then you."

"The fight…isn't…over yet." Zack pealed himself off the pillar that had been his support till he recovered. "Remember who has the mako," he said as he pointed his sword as though giving a lecture to Cloud.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!" was the sound that echoed throughout the floor. The acoustics were perfect to make sounds seem louder then what they actually were. "Very impressive…although you'll have to continue this later if you wish. Hardly, the lobby is the place for such behavior…" Sepheroth stated in such a manner as if he were talking to children. "Why is it that you must fight in such places?"

Cloud stepped forward, which many people wouldn't do to him. "Only is '_such places_' is there any point in doing a battle. The rooms that we've trained in, and continue to do so, don't provide us with as much excitement and challenge as fighting out in public. There are a lot more obstacles to worry about…for instance, people, chairs, pillars," he glances at Zack with a smile, "tables, and other things."

"If we didn't fight out here we'd be bored to death," Zack piped in.

_Ahahahaha, I figured as much. They're so skilled that the silly tests for the training program don't live up to their ability. Still, I can't allow them to continue or it'll make me look bad… It is times like these that make me wish I wasn't the general and could sit back and watch them._

"I see…so you wish for a better training program?" Both Cloud and Zack were surprised that he would suggest such a thing. "I detest the program as well, which is why I never participate in it. Though this is a good thing, I have a mission for you two. I originally was going to do it, but since you both seem bored of how we do things here…" he handed Zack the piece of paper, which Cloud read over his shoulder. It read…

_**General Sepheroth,**_

_**It has been brought to our attention that one of the pipes that feed mako to the Shinra Co. Building has been sabotaged. Go to sector 4 and investigate. The buildings that the explosion tainted are ID's #435 and #437. Record the damage and find who did it. Call for backup if necessary. You have a license to kill. Anyone who will endanger the lives within Midgar will have to answer to Midgar authorities.**_

_P.S. You don't have to kill them…just give them to me. Hojo_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**President Shinra**_

"Oh! About that remark Hojo made. I suggest you kill them or leave them be. Hojo, as far as I'm concerned, is mad and will do anything to whomever he can get away with."

"We…we can't take this. It's addressed to you."

"As long as no one else finds out, they won't care. All they really care about is if the job gets done. I honestly didn't want to go on this mission. I find these investigations a bore most of the time. Either the culprits have already run and are long gone or they're too easy to kill. I've yet to find someone worthy of my time. If you won't take this mission, accompany me. At least having you two might make things a little more interesting," Sepheroth finished with a smirk on his face.

"Uh…if you insist," Zack commented.

"Good! It's settled. However, keep in mind that you are doing this mission. I'm only going to observe unless I'm needed. Like I said, 'they're too easy to kill'. Besides, I think this will be good for the two of you. This isn't a training mission, it is real. Prepare yourselves, for we set out tonight at 1800."

"Yes sir!" Cloud becoming formal, "We will not fail you sir!"

"I know you won't." Upon finishing that, Sepheroth turned and walked towards the staircase.


End file.
